Traffic Rules

[Caesar]

Saw this on the way home, wasn't sure what the rule is.

I was sitting in a queue to turn left onto a busy road.

A guy on the busy road turns right into the road I am on. He immediately stops with his blinker on (he wants to turn right again, into the petrol station on the corner, but can't get in because our queue is blocking the entrance).

Because he has stopped, he is blocking the street for people behind him trying to follow him into the side street (it's a narrow street lined with cars, no room to go around). Not knowing he is stopped, they come round the corner (the queue I am in is blocking their view) and then slam on their brakes.

The result is a queue of cars across this busy road, all trying to turn right into this side street, being blocked by this guy with his blinker on trying to turn right into a driveway.

Who is in the wrong here? The guy who stopped to turn right into the petrol station, is my feeling. But I don't know.

 

[dymot]

I guess you need to give more inbformation such as what the road lines were, whether he had turned right the first time with an arrow or what else there was which might prevent him making that turn legally. I'd say I cant see how what he is doing is illegal if he is allowed to turn right there? If it is actually legal however and is definately dangerous then I'd be noting it/complaining to the local councila nd the traffic police and seeing if something can be done to change the rules to make it banned on safety basis. They are generally pretty good down here when they have something like this happen which was unforseen.

 

[Ed D]

The guy wanting to turn right hasn't broken any laws. The cars coming into the side street behind him are the ones that need to give way. Sounds like a keep clear strip at the petrol station's entrance would stop this from happening again (assuming I'm reading what you wrote correctly).

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

The people at fault for me would be the inconsiderate people who blocked the entrance to the petrol station. There may not be a keep clear area marked on the road but common courtesy / sense tells you, when stopped at an intersection not to block driveways, side streets etc etc.

In the end, the people at fault will be the ones who queued up behind the person trying to turn into the servo. No different to the idiots who enter roundabouts or other intersections when it's not clear to do so and block it for everyone else.

 

[kickazz]

Common sense / courtesy aside, the law is reasonably clear - you must not enter an intersection unless there is room for you to 'get out of it' on the other side.

 

[kfc1]

The guy wanting to turn right hasn't broken any laws. The cars coming into the side street behind him are the ones that need to give way. Sounds like a keep clear strip at the petrol station's entrance would stop this from happening again (assuming I'm reading what you wrote correctly).

Caesar - this is your answer.

The only people who have broken a road rule are those queuing across the intersection behind the guy waiting to turn into the petrol station.